Blackback Pub

Never expected to eat such great food in a pub. High end restaurant quality grub in a friendly local bar with an amazing array of beer choices. What else can you ask for?

Went for lunch on Sunday. The bartender was very friendly. However, the service was very slow and the food was good but not anything special. It took almost 10
minutes to get a menu and we say right in front of the bartender. I got a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich and my girlfriend got a grilled cheese. The chips that came with the sandwich were kettle cooked so they were fantastic. I thought the beer was a little pricey (we each got one and I believe the cheapest one on the menu was $ 7.). After we ate we each got a water before we left and as I got up to get my coat the woman who was cleaning off the bar took my water and put her hand in it to wet the towel she was using to wipe the bar. Luckily I was done drinking it but that bothered me a bit.
Not a bad place but definitely not a favorite. We were just in town for the weekend so we won’t be regulars but if we go back to Waterbury I would probably only go if the line at Prohibition Pig was out the door.

Food was great, but the service was terrible.
My boyfriend and I were there on a Friday as part of the ski trip. The waitresses kept ignoring us while the younger one of them was clearly flirting with one customer. When the food came, there was no silverware. We had to ask twice just for some water after our food and beer had came. It was hard to get attention to get the check.
Such a pity since we both enjoyed our food and beer. Could have been a great place.

Where do I begin? Stopped here on the way to Montréal from CT. The sliders were so amazing (add the bacon-it’s local and delicious!!!) Seared Ahi was grilled to perfection. We enjoyed the drink menu, and finally, the lemon cheesecake was superb. You can tell everything is local and homemade. We will be back for sure! The bartender and chef Jamie were so kind and friendly. We felt right at home! Thanks guys!

Do t get this place mixed up with the wine bar above like I did! Excellent beer selections, and the bartender took time to let me sample to find a beer a liked. She also seemed genuinely interested in me enjoying myself. Great service!

Friendly bar with fabulous beer selection and even better food. It is tiny and sometimes difficult to find a seat, but well worth the wait. The owner is behind the bar and would not let anything but the best food and drink in his establishment.

This place deserves a 5 stars. After driving down to Vermont and pick up some amazing US Craft beer, I was disappointed I was too late to get some Heady Topper.
Well Blackback Pub is an incredible pub I wish I had 5 minutes from home, as I would most likely be there everyday or so.
The first thing that hit me, is that at 31 yo, it’s one of the rare time I went into a pub and I was in the youngest person in the crowd. It was relaxed, calmer. Less pretentious and more authentic. There was a Bearded Men ratio higher than normal. And let’s not forget; an impressive beer list from tap to can. Our Barmaid had a ordinary beauty and charm, she was pleasant and professional. I proceed to get something to eat. I got the Pulled pork Mac & Cheese for 13 $, the portion satisfied the large person I am.
My friend and I proceeded to drink great crafted beer and enjoy a calm night which was soon filled with local for a Winter Band March.
On my way out of the Bar, after complaining about the 1.37 $CAN I had to pay for 1 $US and how expensive travelling in the US has become, and how this was going to be my last trip to the US for a while, I knew I would come back to Vermont and enjoy some beer at Blackback Pub again.

TL;DR Amazing beer selection, good food & atmosphere
Really glad my wife and I made it to Waterbury on our recent Stowe Trip. Blackback Pub was one of those places that just felt right from the moment we sat down. The bartender was helpful and conversational, but knew when to back off and allow us our own time to enjoy the night.
First — this is the place to go if you’re a beer fan. So many of the bars I saw in Vermont had good beer selections, but this place was a notch higher. Had my first Lawson’s here, and it was excellent.
I got the beef chili topped with cheddar. A bit spicy and very thick — solid offering. My wife got the Smoked Bacon and Sweet Corn Mac & Cheese. She liked it and I loved it.

We love to find these kinds of local spots! Worth your time but a little hard to find. We will be back!

New owners are great here. Cleaned this place up and hired and put in an actual kitchen. Food is amazing, always check out the specials but the sliders are always incredible. My absolute favorite is the Seared Ahi Tuna! Yes, tuna at the pub, perfected seared and rare, always fresh and comes with steamed vegetables and a side salad. Of course the beer list is always stellar and they have a dedicated Rodenbach tap line!

Awesome food, service and beer selection. The owner/​bartender could not have been friendlier or more welcoming. I’d be in here everyday if I lived in the area.

If you’re looking for Vermont beer in Waterbury, this may be your best option. 4 hill farmstead beers and 2 lawsons on tap this weekend. Other Vermont beers too. And of course cans of heady.
Food: I got the steak sandwich with a wonderful bacon mayo. My girlfriend got a turkey sandwich (the razorback) that she raved about. Both served with a healthy dose of good potato chips and on really good bread.
The owner behind bar was super friendly. If I lived in Waterbury, this bar would be my hangout. Perfect all the way around.

We enjoyed ourselves here for sure. They had a lemon drop mead that was fantastic, and they had a great local beer selection. The bartenders were nice enough, and the bar was pretty cute. Prices were standard for a nice bar in VT, and the nachos were amazing!

I consider BBP the homiest out of the 3 big bars in Waterbury. If you are looking for more of a local, non-​hipster crowd, this is the place to enjoy Hill Farmstead, Heady, and Lawson’s in a dimly lit pub with down to earth bartenders. It is not a dive though-it’s very clean with nice bathrooms (I pee a lot so this is important).
Jessie was our bartender our last night and she was incredible: she watched the condensation on my Heady can, ready to replenish the second my mouth went dry, created lively conversation, and did not make us feel pressured to leave even though we were the last ones there.
Another place I will dream about until I am in Waterbury again!

Amazing beer selection. Food was reasonably priced and pretty good. Pub style menu. I had the sliders which were good, cooked well and flavorful. My hubby got a sandwich which he said was good also. Only drawback was the chips that came with the meal were straight outta the bag, nothing spectacular.
Awesome old school ambience. Exposed beams in ceiling showing, very cool place. Would definitely go back for drinks if we’re in this area again.

Stopped by just for a couple brews this past week. The selection of local craft beer on tap cannot be beat and although we didn’t have dinner here the food I saw coming out looked and smelled awesome. Bar staff was friendly and attentive and atmosphere was very laid back. Great place to hang out and enjoy some of the best beer in the country. Looking forward to coming back!

Cozy little pub nestled in downtown Waterbury. On a Saturday afternoon we nearly had the place to ourselves. They feature several local beers on tap — Hill Farmstead and occasionally Heady Topper though it may have been can only when we were there. The lunch menu didn’t entice us and I’m bummed I never made a visit while Mad Taco still operated out of there (my husband raves about the tacos he had there this summer.) I’d definitely come here with a group but it almost felt too quiet when we were there so we only stayed for a drink before moving on to a livelier scene.

Great craft brews. Some of the best on the East Coast.
The food is amazing! They have a full kitchen now and have a delicious pub menu.
I had the Cuban sandwich and it was so fresh and grilled to perfection.

This was quite slow on a Friday night. However, this meant we got to chat with the bartender, who was great.
There seemed to be a good amount of beers off of the menu, but they thankfully had the hard to find and tap only, Bruery Humulus, the best hoppy lager I’ve ever had. A true longing lupulin adventure.
A relatively small bar, although they have two sides.

It’s always a good sign when you drink at a bar where locals come to drink. It’s even better when that bar carries some of Vermont’s best, and through that proxy, some of the world’s best beers on a regular basis.
The only minus that I arguably see going against Blackback is their pub fare — they recently changed from Mad Taco to Maggie’s Kitchen, and no offense to Maggie because her food is absolutely delightful and delectable, they don’t quite have the kinks all resolved yet. The first time I went in, I ordered her sliders which took over half an hour to arrive in front me; the second time I ordered their poblano chili and the Green Mountain Salad, which took slightly less time, but still took a lot longer for what should be relatively simple pub food. (I wasn’t the only person that night that noticed this the nights I went — there was a local group of five people that decided to have conversations about how long they’d been waiting from around minute 27 of not having food in front of them at the bar)
That being said, the food itself was great — every bit of the slider was like a perfectly crafted masterpiece, the fluffy french brioche-​esque buns mixes splendidly with the veggie/​meat/​chili patty, and the serving size was just enough to leave me full for the rest of the day’s activities. The Poblano chili came highly recommended by the new owner of the pub and for good reason; every hearty bite was as satisfying as the next; there wasn’t that much of heat to the dish, but all the ingredients tasted fresh and well-​blended together. The Green Mountain salad was as fresh and delicious as you would expect out of any restaurant serving food prepared with fresh, local ingredients.
Overall, great draft/​bottle selections, great food and prices, but they could probably benefit greatly from working out some glaring logistics issues in the kitchen.